The present invention relates to a house or shelter for birds, dogs, etc. (xe2x80x9coccupantxe2x80x9d), which can be collapsed into a compact package for shipping or storage, and easily erected from its collapsed configuration into the house.
The prior art is replete with various approaches to collapsible houses or shelters for animals.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,445,055 describes a collapsible dog house having a floor, peaked end panels connected to the floor by hinges, side walls having lower edges which are in interlocking engagement with the floor, the upper portions of the side walls being coupled to end panels by hook and eye connectors, and roofing boards connected by hinges which are dropped into position upon the peaked faces of the end panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,427 describes a foldable structure useful as a dog house that includes parallel side walls connected by hinges to top members, the top members being connected by a hinge to each other, end walls connected to side walls by hinges, and a bottom extending between the side walls that is connected to one of the side walls by hinges.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,572 describes a collapsible doghouse that-includes a base, front and rear walls, opposing sidewalls and a roof positionable over the walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,637 describes a foldable house and carrier for small pets that includes hingeably interconnected floor, side walls and a roof.
U.S. Pat. 5,115,762 describes a prefabricated doghouse that includes seven prefabrication sections that are assembled by sliding them together and interlocking the sections with a plurality of slip pin fasteners and hasp fasteners.
U.S. Pat. 5,950,568 describes a foldable/collapsible animal shelter. The structure includes two sidewalls, each having an upper, middle and lower section. The sidewalls contain a pivot on each of the outer and inner surfaces in order that upper and middle sidewall sections collapse inwardly towards a bottom. The upper sidewalls are pivotally attached to two roof sections. A front wall and a rear wall are pivotally attached to the bottom. The roof is comprised of two roof sections pivotally attached to one another, the roof sections being collapsible downwardly along the pivotal attachment toward the bottom.
The present invention relates to a collapsible house for creatures, such as dogs, birds, etc., that can be easily erected from a compact package. The house has opposing sidewalls, opposing endwalls, a floor and roof sections. The endwalls are collapsible down against the floor. The roof sections are collapsible down against the sidewalls, and the combination of the roof sections collapsed against the sidewalls are further collapsible down against the collapsed endwalls.